


Wild Thing

by WandaHart



Category: The Rolling Stones
Genre: Awkwardness, Crush at First Sight, First Dates, Fluff, I don't know but Keith works as a zookeeper in this, M/M, Mutual Pining, Oh also Mick is a babysitter, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, is that even a thing?, zoo au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:07:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23798197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WandaHart/pseuds/WandaHart
Summary: When Mick agreed to take his niece and nephew to the zoo for the day he wasn't expecting to fall for one of the zookeepers.
Relationships: Mick Jagger/Keith Richards
Comments: 18
Kudos: 27





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, so my knowledge of zoos is limited to having visited a couple in the past but I just couldn't get the image of Keith as a zookeeper out of my mind. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy and thanks so much for reading!

Mick was freaking the fuck out.

The day had started out fine enough. Sure, maybe taking care of your cousin’s two children wasn’t Mick’s ideal Saturday, but it wasn’t a burden or anything he hated to do. Besides, he never really got to spend any time with his young “niece” and “nephew”. His cousin had moved out of London before the little rascals had been born so Mick’s time spent with them was often limited to holidays and family gatherings. 

Margaret, Mick’s cousin, and her husband were away on holiday this week though, leaving the two children with her aunt, Mick’s mom, who had conveniently forgotten to take off work. This mishap had led to Mick having to take over babysitting duties during the day since he was currently only working every other night or so.

So now, Mick was freaking the fuck out. No, not because he had to take care of Eden and Peter for the day, but because he had already lost Eden. Yes, it was the first day Mick had the children and he had already lost one of them. A whole child. Fifty percent of what he was supposed to be looking after. 

“Eden!” Mick called out, desperately searching through the crowd of people on the pathways around them. “Eden!” Oh, why had he decided to bring them to the zoo? It was a Saturday, of course it was going to be crowded. Damn his mother for suggesting the idea.

He was now cradling the other child, Peter, in his arms as he speed-walked through the zoo in search of his niece. She couldn’t have gone far; she was only three for Christ’s sake! The toddler in his arms whined as he unconsciously tightened his grip on the boy out of anxiety.

“Micky, you’re hurtin’ me,” he whined, tugging at a lock of Mick’s hair in protest. The boy did not appreciate being scooped up and carried through the zoo. “I wanna see the pwenguns!”

Mick eased up the grip on his nephew. “Peter, we have to find your sister. Then, we can see the penguins.” Mick was really starting to panic. He hadn’t seen the girl in over five minutes. “Peter, did you see where your sister went?”

Peter didn’t respond, only snuggled down further into Mick’s embrace and popped his thumb into his mouth.

When Mick saw the little gift shop ahead, he breathed out a small sigh of relief. Perhaps there was an employee inside who could help him look for the little girl. Children must get lost here all the time. Surely, there must be a protocol for something like that.

Walking towards the gift shop, Mick saw her immediately. Eden stood about a foot away from the entrance of the shop. She was facing away from him, but Mick would recognize those curly blonde pigtails anywhere. 

“Eden!” he shouted out as he ran towards her and dropped down to the cement to embrace her. “Oh my god, are you okay?”

Eden giggled as Mick’s arms wrapped around her little frame, engulfing both her and Peter, whom Mick had not put down yet. 

“Micky!” she said with glee, “you’re crushing me and Pete!”

Mick finally pulled away from the girl and put Peter down, though he was careful to keep a close eye on him. He did not want to be losing any more children today. He grabbed onto Eden’s shoulders and tried to look stern although he was sure he just came across as frightened. 

“Eden, you cannot just wander off like that! Even when I let go of your hand you have to stay by me, okay?” The girl nodded as Mick continued his speech. “I’m supposed to be looking out for you and that means I have to know where you are at all times. And please, please, don’t go and tell your mother about this. Or your grandma! Just-” Mick suddenly cut himself off. “Where did you get that?” His brow furrowed as he noticed the red piece of candy in Eden’s hand. She twirled the lollipop in question around in her hand before putting it back in her mouth.

“Oh, I gave it to her. I hope that’s alright.”

Mick’s head snapped up at the voice. It was only then that he noticed the other man standing there watching Mick and Eden’s mini reunion. The man took a hesitant step forward and Mick stood up to his full height.

Mick grabbed a hold of both the kid’s hands as the stranger introduced themselves.

“Sorry, I just saw that she was all alone and figured she was lost. She seemed kind of upset so I figured maybe some sweets would cheer her up.” The man put his hands in the pockets of his khaki shorts. Mick noted his uniform and realized the man worked here at the zoo. “I was just about to take her inside and have someone make an announcement or something. I’m Keith by the way.” Keith shuffled his feet a bit and extended his hand for Mick to shake.

“Oh, well, um thank you,” Mick said, shaking his hand. “Her mum would’ve killed me if I’d lost her.” Mick kicked himself for sounding so careless. “And me,” he added quickly, “I would care too obviously.” Smooth.

Keith chuckled a bit and Mick was struck by just how handsome the young zookeeper was. He had dark hair that was long like Mick’s and his face seemed to have been sculpted by angels. Mick tried not to stare too hard which was rather difficult when a man that looked like that was smiling at him.

“It’s no problem,” Keith said easily, “You look like you got your hands full. Twins?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Mick said, wishing he could find more to say, wanting to keep the conversation going. It wasn’t everyday that he met someone as attractive as Keith.

“Micky,” Pete called, pulling on Mick’s pant leg and snapping him out of his lovestruck haze, “I wanna see the pwenguns!”

Mick smiled down at his nephew then back up at Keith. “Well, we should get going. Thanks again, mate.”

“Oh yeah, sure.” Keith looked a little disappointed as Mick started to lead the children away from the gift shop and back to the exhibits and Mick couldn’t help but feel a little bit disappointed as well. He would’ve loved to have been able to stay and get to know Keith, but his niece and nephew’s wishes were more important his love life or lack thereof. 

“Hey, wait up!” Keith called out, surprising even himself. He wasn’t normally one to chase after people especially people who had kids, but Mick was cute, and he didn’t see a ring. And the way Mick described the children’s mum didn’t make it sound like they were together.

Mick turned around quickly and looked up at Keith through his eyelashes. 

“Er,” Keith swallowed nervously. “You’re going to see the penguins, right? Maybe I can give you a little tour? I mean, y’know, for the kids.” Even as Keith spoke about the children, he looked directly at Mick.

Mick could feel his cheeks heat up as he agreed to Keith’s offer. This would be good. Peter and Eden could see the penguins and Mick could try his hand at flirting with the hot zookeeper.

“So, uh, I never got your name,” Keith said as he led Mick and the kids through the maze of sidewalks. He took them the back route past the elephants which was generally much less crowded.

“Oh,” Mick said, “it’s,” he paused as he struggled to keep a hold of Peter and Eden’s hands as they gawked at the two elephants in front of them. “It’s Mick.” He flashed Keith an apologetic smile as the twins stopped and demanded to look at the huge beasts.

Keith waved his hand, signaling that it was no worry. It was a zoo after all, and personally Keith liked the elephants much more than the penguins. They were much more subdued and less prone to biting his fingers during feedings. A fond smile made its way onto his face as he watched Mick lift the children up one at a time to get a better view over the gate. 

“Their names are Sasha and Sara,” Keith said, moving to stand next to the trio right at the front of the enclosure. “Sasha is Sara’s mummy,” he told the kids. 

“Is she a baby?” Pete asked, big blue eyes gazing up at Keith. Keith could practically feel his heart turn to mush. 

“No, she’s all grown up now,” he said, unconsciously softening his voice. “See how big she is?”

Peter and Eden nodded and continued to watch the pair of elephants pick leaves from the trees with their trunks.

“When I grow up am I gonna be as big as Mummy?” Eden asked, this time looking to Mick for an answer. 

Mick smiled and picked her up ruffling her hair. “Of course, love. You’ll be just like your mummy.” He placed the little girl on his shoulders eliciting a stream of giggles from her mouth. 

Peter looked up at his uncle and his sister, feeling excluded. He turned towards Keith. “Up?”

“Oh, uh,” Keith looked towards Mick who was now showing Eden how to make elephant noises. Keith looked back down at the boy who was now giving him puppy eyes. “Er, okay.” He hesitantly reached down and picked the boy up, settling him on his hip. “Can you see now?” he asked, hoping he hadn’t stepped over some invisible boundary and that Mick wouldn’t be weirded out by a near stranger holding his child.

But Mick didn’t yell at him or look uncomfortable. He just smiled at Keith and nudged him with his elbow. He gestured down to Peter who had curled up against Keith’s chest with a content little smile on his face.

“Looks like he likes you,” Mick said.

Keith looked at Peter and then back to Mick’s big blue eyes, taking note of his sweeping eyelashes. “They look like you,” Keith murmured.

At this Mick huffed out a surprised laugh. “Really? Me and their mother look somewhat alike I suppose. Maybe that’s why.”

Keith was confused. Mick genuinely seemed like no one had ever told him that his children looked like him. Sure, they weren’t the spitting image of the man, but they clearly had his pretty eyes and the slope of their nose was quite similar. And what was all that business about looking like their mother about?

“Are you,” Kirk started. He licked his lips, trying to decide if his question was rude or not. “Are you not their father?”

Mick’s eyes opened almost comically wide and his mouth dropped open a little bit. He gave Keith an incredulous look. “What? Oh my god, no. No, they’re my niece and nephew. I don’t, I don’t have any kids.”

“Oh,” Keith said, mind racing. “I’m sorry, I guess I just assumed.” So, this meant that Mick definitely wasn’t having any sort of relations to the children’s mother and could very well be single and could very well be interested in men.

“Don’t apologize,” Mick said, shifting Eden about on his shoulders. “I guess I never mentioned it.”

Keith just shrugged. “It’s not like you have to explain yourself to everyone you meet.” They fell into silence as the children trumpeted about like elephants.

When they finally got to the penguins, the “tour” had lasted well over a half an hour and Keith was sure he was going to have to stay late to get all his work done by the end of the day. But he just couldn’t find it in himself to leave Mick. Besides, Peter had now fallen asleep in Keith’s arms.

They were sat on a bench outside of the penguin enclosure, Keith holding a sleeping Peter and Mick still balancing a bouncing Eden on his shoulders. Mick was sitting close to Keith in hopes that it would maybe suggest his interest in the other man without being downright obvious.

Keith took the time to point out specific penguins to Eden and tell her all about what kind of fish they liked to eat and their habitat and such. Eden was excited to learn all about the little birds and kicked her legs excitedly against Mick’s shoulders.

“Thank you,” Mick said once Keith had finished his spiel, “I really do appreciate you showing us around.” He motioned down towards Peter. “And for helping me out with him.”

“Ah, it’s nothing,” Keith said, shrugging, “but I should probably get back to work.”

“Oh Christ, I’m sorry,” Mick said, “We’ve kept you for so long.”

Keith waved it off with his free hand as he stood and tried not to move Peter around so much. Mick lifted Eden off his shoulders then joined Keith in standing as well. He reached over and put his arms around Peter’s sleeping form and carefully pulled him out of Keith’s hold and into his own. The boy mumbled slightly but did not wake. 

Keith tried not to blush when Mick’s arms brushed against his. The other man’s touch was soft and light, but Keith still felt like a shock went through him when their skin touched. 

“Well, maybe I’ll see you around,” Mick said, shifting on his feet awkwardly.

“Yeah, maybe,” Keith echoed. He knew that was a lie. What were the odds he would ever see Mick again? It’s not like people came to the zoo routinely and even if they did Keith was normally busy working behind the scenes.

The two men stood there, silent, as if waiting for something to happen. But nothing did. They just continued to stare at each other.

“Micky, I’m bored!” Eden whined, tired of her watching her uncle uncomfortably fawn over the zookeeper.

Mick laughed quietly. “Well, I guess that’s my cue to leave.”

Keith nodded and gave Mick a polite smile that fell as soon as Mick and the children turned around to walk away. Keith hadn’t known Mick for more than an hour, but he still felt a pang of disappointment that he hadn’t gotten the chance to ask him on a date. There was just something about him, seeing him interact with his niece and nephew and laugh at Keith’s sorry attempts at jokes had really struck something inside of Keith. 

_God_ , he thought to himself, _you’re pathetic. Practically in love with a man you don’t even know._

As Mick carried Peter and led Eden out of the zoo, he was having similar thoughts. Mick was kicking himself for not trying harder to show his interest in Keith. He just hadn’t known what to say. Was it appropriate to try and flirt with a cute zoo employee in front of two three-year-olds? Probably not. If only he could see Keith again when he didn’t have the little ones in tow. Then maybe he would be brave enough to make a move. All he had to do now was find a way to see Keith again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is really short, I know. It just didn't feel right to add it into the next one which I pinky promise will be longer! I hope you enjoy and thanks for reading!

“What do you mean he just left? You didn’t get his number or anything?”

Keith glared at his best friend who only laughed in return.

“He must have been quite the looker,” Ronnie continued, still snickering to himself. He looked over at his friend who was looking quite miserable shoveling up kangaroo poo. “Aw Keith, you know I’m just playing with you.”

Keith sighed and set his shovel up against the enclosure wall. “I know, I’m just upset with myself. I really blew my chance.”

Ronnie approached him and swung his arm around Keith’s shoulders good-naturedly. “Nah mate, you didn’t blow your chances. You’ll just have to woo him extra next time!”

“There won’t be a next time Ronnie,” Keith said, picking up his shovel and resuming his work. “I’ll probably never see him again. I don’t know anything about him except for his name’s Mick.”

“Well maybe he’ll come back to the zoo!”

“What are the odds that I’ll ever see him again?” Keith asked.

“Oh, you’re just being negative cause you didn’t get to continue your private tour off zoo property.” Ronnie waggled his eyebrows. “You, my friend, need to get laid.”

Keith rolled his eyes and chose to ignore Ronnie’s comment. Not only because Ronnie was so graciously helping him finish his cleanings for the day but, because deep down Keith knew he was right.

All afternoon he had been unable to get the image of Mick carrying Eden around on his shoulders out of his head. It appeared that Mick had really affected him, and Keith was utterly screwed. 

“Hello, Keith?” Ronnie waved his hand in front of Keith’s face trying to grab his attention. Keith snapped out of his thoughts and focused on Ronnie once again. “Wow, you’ve really got it bad, don’t you?”

“Shut up,” Keith said with a grin, a blush rising to his face. “You’d be the same if you had seen him.”

Ronnie laughed yet again at poor lovesick Keith and made a fake gagging noise. “God, we have to find this bloke. I don’t know how much of this I can take.”

****

Mick called Charlie the very same night he met Keith and practically begged him to go to the zoo with him.

Charlie simply sighed into the receiver. He had come to expect these kinds of odd behaviors from Mick from the past three years they had known each other. Charlie was beginning to think Mick might be a bit of a loon.

“And why exactly do you need me to go to the zoo with you?” Charlie said after a brief pause.

“Because,” Mick practically shouted into the receiver, “because, I, well.” Mick was struggling to find a good excuse to give his friend.

Charlie remained patient. This was not his first rodeo. “Well?”

Mick looked around his apartment trying to find a reason. He spotted Eden’s pink sweater laying on the sofa. “Because the kids really want to go! And I am in desperate need of another set of hands,” Mick said. Then he added “please?”

Charlie rolled his eyes. He could practically feel Mick pouting through the phone. “I thought you took them to the zoo today.”

“I did. They want to go back.”

Charlie huffed and muttered something Mick couldn’t quite catch. “Okay fine,” he said, finally relenting. “But I won’t be able to until Tuesday.”

Mick bit his lip. Two days? He’d really have to wait two whole days to see Keith again? Mick concluded that it was better than nothing. “Alright. Tuesday.”

Immediately after Mick got off the phone with Charlie, he wandered into his bedroom and flopped back onto his bed. He stared up at the ceiling and thought of his day. He thought back to when he first saw Keith and how shy he had appeared at first. Then he thought about Keith holding Peter and talking animatedly about the animals they passed. His obvious excitement and passion for his work made him all the more attractive to Mick. Not to mention his beautiful voice. God, Mick thought he could’ve listened to that smoky voice for hours on end.

Mick closed his eyes, fantasizing about the moment he saw Keith again and as he drifted off to sleep, he imagined all the things he would say to Keith and all the ways he would sweep him off his feet.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! Chapter Three! This one came out a little longer than I expected and it's a little rambly in some parts but I just can't will myself to cut any scenes of Charlie. Anyways, thank you so much for giving it a read and I hope you enjoy!

Tuesday came faster than Mick anticipated. He had expected time to drag on since he was so anxious to go see Keith again, but it seemed Eden and Peter had done a good job of keeping him distracted and busy.

Mick had stayed inside with the two children for the days between zoo visits. He thought that would be simpler and less hectic than taking the children back out to some public place, but, boy, had he been wrong. Mick was exhausted from the seemingly nonstop energy his niece and nephew possessed. Hours of dress up and hide-and-seek and magic shows had taken their toll on Mick. He was exhausted.

So, Mick was extremely grateful when Tuesday rolled along with the promise of Charlie’s help with Eden and Peter. 

Charlie had come by Mick’s apartment in the late morning to take everyone to the zoo. Mick’s mother had already clothed the children and fed them breakfast before leaving for work which only left Mick with the task of getting the children ready to leave.

Charlie watched, bemused, as Mick chased Eden and Peter about, trying to get them to put their shoes on. Charlie noted Mick’s exasperated expression and the children’s unwavering giggles and decided he might as well step in if he didn’t want to be here all morning. 

“Woah, hey there!” Charlie said, stepping in front of a running Eden and sweeping the girl into his arms. The girl let out an excited and playful shriek. Charlie smiled at her. “Why don’t we give poor Uncle Mick a break, huh?”

Eden relented with a giggle and finally allowed her uncle to put her shoes on her. Peter, not nearly having as much fun now without his sister, joined Eden on the sofa and allowed Mick to put on his shoes as well.

Mick shot Charlie a thankful look and nodded his head, checking “shoes” off his mental checklist. “Thanks mate. I think we should be good to go once they use the bathroom.”

Charlie groaned as Eden and Peter, each letting out a joyous “no”, jumped off the sofa and once again proceeded to run circles around Mick. This was going to be a long day.

****

When the foursome finally arrived at the zoo, it was half past noon. The kids were whining about being hungry, Mick was asleep in the passenger’s seat of Charlie’s Ford Capri, and Charlie was resisting the urge to slam his head into the dashboard.

Charlie woke Mick up with a harsh shove on the shoulder and shooed him out of the car. The two men each worked to unbuckle the children from their car seats (which Mick and Charlie had spent a good twenty minutes installing earlier) and led the children to the entrance of the zoo. 

Mick held onto Eden’s hand as they waited in line to buy tickets. Peter, who had complained about walking after moving two steps in the parking lot was happily getting a piggy-back ride from Charlie.

After Mick spent his last week’s paycheck buying tickets for them all, the group moved in search of a place to sit and eat lunch. Thankfully, the zoo was not as crowded as it had been during the weekend and there was a plethora of available benches and tables to sit at. They walked for a little bit and chose a table across from the flamingos to settle down at.

Mick’s mother had packed him a backpack for the day which included anything the kids might need like toys or sunscreen or a change of clothes. There were also two prepared lunches and plenty of snacks. Peter and Eden stuffed their faces while Mick and Charlie took an already much needed break. 

“Jesus, Mick. How’d you manage to do this on your own before?” Charlie asked, watching in amazement as Peter attempted to shove an entire cookie in his mouth.

Mick pulled the treat away and broke it into fourths for the boy. “Oh, you know,” Mick hesitated. Should he tell Charlie about Keith and his help? Charlie read people too well. He would see exactly why Mick brought him here. “You just do what you got to do, right?”

Charlie raised his eyebrows at this statement but didn’t say anything. This was Mick after all. Sometimes the things he said just didn’t make sense. 

After a quick lunch, they were off to see more animals. They received some odds stares, the two young men trying to control a pair of rambunctious toddlers. They didn’t heed any of the observers though. Charlie was much to busy trying to figure out the map he had snagged at the entrance and Mick was more concerned with keeping track of the children and looking out for any sign of Keith. 

However, as their zoo day continued Mick grew more and more distracted. Everywhere they went, Mick made sure to look around. He was hellbent on finding Keith and, anyways, Charlie seemed to be better equipped at handling the kids than he had initially let on. Peter still clung to his back and Eden was happy to skip alongside Charlie whom they had affectionately dubbed “Cha Cha” much to Charlie’s chagrin. 

Disappointment was creeping up on Mick. He had spent so long anticipating today and there was no sign of Keith anywhere. Mick had remembered some offhand comment Keith had made on Saturday about primarily working in the “Australia” part of the zoo and had eagerly ushered everyone there, but there was still no Keith to be found. At one point Mick had even thought he spotted him. He saw a man in the zookeeper’s uniform with dark and unruly hair, but when he’d turned around it was not Keith. 

Hours had passed and Mick had virtually given up hope. Eden and Peter were beginning to tire, and Mick was now carrying Eden. Charlie suggested calling it a day.

“I think they’re done,” Charlie said, smiling softly at Eden who was stifling a yawn. “Maybe we should head home.”

Mick frowned. He still wanted to wait around and find Keith, but he knew Charlie was right. Eden and Peter were obviously exhausted from the excitement of the visit to the zoo and probably were in need of a nap. Mick and Charlie could probably use one as well.

“Alright,” Mick said, sighing. “We can go now.”

During their walk back to the parking lot, Peter, still being carried by Charlie, spoke up. “Micky, can we get candy?” He stuck out a chubby finger and pointed to the gift shop where Mick had found Eden after she had run off. It was also the place he had first met Keith.

“Okay,” Mick said. “Yeah, we can get some sweets.” Mick hated the way his stomach filled with butterflies just thinking about Keith, but maybe Keith would be here again like he was last time.

Eden and Peter rushed to a shelf full of stuffed animals the second they all walked through the gift shop doors. Charlie shook his head but walked after them, leaving Mick to search the store for his zookeeper.

Under the guise of searching for some candy for Peter, Mick walked around the store. A pretty blond woman stood at the register and smiled at Mick when he caught her eye. Mick looked away awkwardly. Nope, no Keith here either.

Mick was snapped out of his self-pity by Eden tugging on his pant leg.

“Uncle Micky,” Eden said, giving Mick a nervous smile. “Can I have the pony?” She pulled out a small stuffed pony from behind her back. “Please?” She batted her eyelashes at Mick.

Mick knelt down and took the plushy from her, flipping it around in his hands. He looked at the price tag and frowned. Fifteen pounds for a stuffed horse? That wasn’t really in his budget. 

“Er, this is a very nice horse Eden, but it’s a little expensive.”

The girl pouted and Mick felt terrible. Tears started to well up in Eden’s eyes and her bottom lip started to wobble. Mick panicked and wracked his brain for a way to stop the tears from falling. Thankfully, Charlie came to the rescue.

“I’ll get it, Mick.” He stepped up next to Mick and Eden. Peter followed close behind him carrying a little plush penguin. Charlie pulled out his wallet.

Mick started to protest. “Charlie, you don’t have to do that. Really, you’ve already helped so much today.” 

Charlie didn’t even respond though. He just took Eden and Peter by the hand and led them up to the cashier, shouts of “Yay! Uncle Cha Cha!” following him. 

Mick smiled as he watched his friend bond with his nephew and niece. He hadn’t really expected Charlie to do so well with them. His friend was normally so sarcastic and quiet, but apparently his whole demeanor was capable of changing in the presence of kids. It was sweet. Odd, but sweet.

“Hey, you alright?”

Mick spun around quickly, caught off guard by the voice behind him. Soft brown eyes met his. Keith.

“Sorry, guess I got to stop scaring you,” Keith chuckled. He not-so-subtly checked Mick out, looking him up and down.

Mick let out a breathy laugh. “Hi,” he said. He blushed and ducked his head. _Hi? What kind of response was that?_

Keith didn’t seem to mind. “You here alone? I thought Ronnie said he saw the kids.”

“Ronnie?” Mick asked with a frown.

Now it was Keith’s turn to blush. “Oh, my coworker. He, er, he said he saw some cute guy walking around with a couple of kids. Thought maybe it was you.”

Mick blinked at him, not sure how to respond. Some random man reported his presence at the zoo back to Keith? And Keith thought that Mick was cute? What the fuck?

“Keef!”

Peter came running up from behind Mick and latched onto Keith’s legs in a big hug. Charlie and Eden walked up to Mick as well.

“Um, hi?” Charlie quirked his eyebrows up at Mick. 

Mick’s brain scrambled around, trying to find a way to explain Keith’s existence to Charlie. “Um, Charlie, this is Keith. He, er, helped show us around the zoo last time we came here.” Mick rubbed his shoulder and turned to Keith. “Uh, Keith this is Charlie.”

Keith’s grin faltered a bit, but he stuck out his hand and politely offered it to Charlie. Charlie shook it apprehensively. “Nice to meet you.”

When Ronnie had told Keith he’d seen a handsome brunette and two cute blonde toddlers walking around the zoo, Keith was over the moon with excitement. He had quickly abandoned his work on the fence he was repairing to go search around for Mick. He considered himself lucky to have found Mick at all and was eager to try his hand at scoring a date with him, but now he felt awkward. He hadn’t expected Mick to have a friend with him. And was Charlie a friend? Or something more?

Mick looked uncomfortable. “Well, we were just on our way out.” 

“Oh, okay.” Keith frowned. “It was good to see you again.”

Inside Mick was panicking. All those hours spent daydreaming about what he would say to Keith when he saw him again flew out the window. He wracked his brain for something, anything, to say.

“Um, Charlie, could you maybe take the kids back to the car? I’ll be out in a second. I just have to, er, buy something.” A lame excuse. It was obvious he just wanted some alone time with Keith.

Charlie shot Mick a knowing glare. He knew. He wasn’t stupid and Mick was kind of obvious. He was blushing like a schoolgirl. “Yeah, alright. Be quick, yeah?”

Mick nodded and watched as Charlie led Eden and Peter out of the building. Turning back to Keith, he smiled nervously. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you, you know.” Finally, some decent flirting.

Keith grinned back at him. “Really?”, he said. He could feel his racing heartbeat. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you too.” Mick bit his lip and Keith thought he might faint at the sight. 

Then, Mick pulled out a little slip of paper from his pocket. He handed it over to Keith. “Here’s my number. I was hoping I’d run into you today.”

Keith looked down at the digits scrawled messily on the paper. “I’m glad you did. I, I’ll call you. Maybe we can see each other again.”

“I’d like that,” Mick breathed out.

The two of them stood there in silence for another moment before Mick said “I should be going now. Er, call me. I mean, you don’t have to, like, straight away. You can wait. Or not. Or you don’t have to call. If you don’t want.” He was babbling. He shut his mouth hastily to stop from embarrassing himself any further.

Keith thought Mick’s nerves were cute and kind of endearing. “I’ll call you.”

And with a final “okay”, Mick finally walked out of the gift shop and back to the car where Charlie and the kids stood waiting for him. He couldn’t wipe the smile off his face.

“You’re ridiculous,” Charlie said once Mick was in earshot. “I can’t believe you dragged me all the way out here and made me take care of these beasts,” He motioned back to the children. “just so you could flirt with some guy.”

“They aren’t beasts,” Mick said with a grin. He knew Charlie was just being over-dramatic. "And I didn't drag you."

“You’re insane. Not even going to deny it are you?”

Mick shook his head, still smiling.

“You’re lucky I’m too tired to care. Get in the car Jagger.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you think? I'd love to hear your thoughts and opinions!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof, I'm finally updating! Writer's block hit me hard this past week. That being said though, I finally got this back on track and have an idea of what I'm doing. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy!

“Just call him already!”

“I’m going to,” Keith snapped. He was beginning to get tired of Ronnie’s endless teasing. He sighed. “I think I should just wait a little while longer, don’t you think?”

Ronnie lay stretched across Keith’s loveseat. He sported a grin as if he was in on some big joke. He loved winding Keith up and his boy troubles just made that all too easy to do. He laughed at Keith.

“What?” Keith asked, annoyed. “You’re supposed to wait.”

“Mate, it’s been two bloody days already. You’re not getting any younger. Don’t you want to call him?”

Keith messed about with the guitar in his hands, plucking at the strings haphazardly. Him and Ronnie had been messing around with some riffs before the topic of Mick arose. Of course, Keith wanted to call Mick. He had wanted to call him the second he had gotten his number. Every time he picked up the phone though, he felt downright sick with nerves. 

“Yeah,” Keith said, finally answering Ronnie’s question. “I guess I just don’t know what to say.”

“Just say you fancy him and ask if he wants to come get drunk with you and fuck.”

Keith glared at his friend’s smug smile. “I hate you.”

“Not yet,” Ronnie said, still smiling and sitting up from the couch. He had gotten a idea. He got to his feet and walked over to the phone Keith had on a nearby side table. Mick’s number lay next to the phone. Just his luck. Ronnie picked it up.

“What are you doing?” Keith asked, setting his guitar aside and standing up to see what Ronnie was up to.

“Dialing,” Ronnie answered. He started punching in Mick’s number.

“What? No!” 

It was too late though. By the time Keith had caught on to Ronnie’s scheme, Ronnie had already finished dialing and was holding the phone up to his ear. He laughed as Keith charged towards him, frantically trying to end the call.

“It’s ringing!” Ronnie cheered over Keith’s pleas to hang up before Mick answered. 

“Ronnie, I swear to god if you don’t hang up that phone right now I will-”

Keith was cut off by Ronnie shoving the phone against his ear just in time for Keith to catch the tail end of Mick’s questioning “hello”.

Keith stared wide eyed at Ronnie, unable to form a response to Mick’s greeting. It was like he was frozen.

“Hello?” Mick’s voice sounded through the receiver once more.

“Say something then!” Ronnie urged, motioning for him to hurry with his hands.

“Er, hi.” Keith grimaced as his voice cracked. He cleared his throat and spoke again. “Hello.”

“Um, hi.” Mick sounded somewhat confused. “Who is this?”

“Uh, it’s Keith? Yeah, Keith. You know, from the zoo?” Keith cringed as he spoke. He closed his eyes and tried to ignore Ronnie’s poor attempts to stifle his laughter.

“Oh, Keith! I’m surprised to hear from you.”

Keith frowned. “You are?” 

“What’s he saying,” Ronnie whispered, attempting to grab the phone and place his ear next to Keith’s on the receiver. 

Keith shooed Ronnie’s hands and face away while he listened to Mick’s response.

“Well, kind of. It’s been a couple days.” Mick said. He added quietly “I thought maybe you lost interest.”

“Oh,” Keith said. “I thought you were supposed to wait.”

Ronnie buried his head in his hands.

Keith was surprised and happy to hear Mick’s beautiful laugh. “Is that why you decided to wait until midnight to call?” Mick asked, a smile clear in his voice.

Keith looked over at the clock hanging on the wall. Shit. It was pretty late. He must have lost track of time when jamming with Ronnie. “Shit.”

“It’s fine.”

“Did I wake you up?”

Mick paused. “Er, no,” he lied. “Well, sort of. I had only just gone to sleep though.”

“Shit. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

Keith looked up at Ronnie who rolled his eyes. He motioned for Keith to say more to Mick. “Ask him out,” he mouthed. He flipped him off.

Keith could hear Mick’s soft breathing on the other end of the line. It felt like Mick was waiting for him to speak. Before the silence could become too awkward, Keith spoke. “Do you want to maybe, I don’t know, hang out tomorrow night? A few of my mates are playing a show. I was going to go watch if you want to join me. We could grab some dinner too.” He crossed his fingers that his invitation didn’t sound too desperate.

“That sounds like fun.” Mick’s voice was soft, just above a whisper. It sent a shiver down Keith’s spine.

“Yeah?”

“I’ll be there.”

“Really? Okay, yeah,” Keith smiled as he rattled off the time and place for Mick and him to meet up at. He felt like he was floating. Finally, after almost a week, he had secured a date with Mick. Well, kind of. He hadn’t called it a date so maybe it wasn’t one _officially_ , but it was all the same to Keith. He gets to see Mick again! And finally, out of his stupid work uniform. 

After wishing Mick a good night and hanging up the phone, Keith reached over and slapped Ronnie across the back of the head.

“Ow! What’d you do that for?” Ronnie whined, rubbing the spot Keith had wacked him.

“Because you’re a dick.” Keith answered, matter-of-factly.

****

When Keith had called him, Mick had been ecstatic. He had thought that after two days of waiting by the phone maybe Keith just wouldn’t call. So, when he had shyly invited him out, it was a big deal to Mick. There was something about Keith that Mick couldn’t quite place his finger on. Sure, Keith was hot and funny and kind, but there was something else there too. A feeling in Mick’s chest that made him feel dizzy and out of breath when he thought about Keith for more than a moment. It was hard to put into words, but it almost made Mick feel as if he was dancing, spinning in circles. Whatever it was, it was a good feeling.

Mick couldn’t help but be nervous though as he approached the pub Keith had asked to meet him at. He really wanted tonight to go well. He wasn’t sure if he would be able to handle Keith not liking him. 

He didn’t see Keith outside, so he decided to head in and take a look around the place. The bar wasn’t very large which made it easy for Mick to take notice of the fact that Keith wasn’t there yet. He took a seat at a nearby table and waited for Keith. 

A couple minutes passed before Mick gave into temptation and checked his wristwatch. Fifteen minutes past seven. Keith was late. Mick frowned. Surely, Keith wouldn’t stand him up. Would he? He began to worry despite telling himself not to.

He was drawn out of his thoughts by a man taking a seat across from him. “Are you Mick?” the stranger asked.

“Um, yeah?” Mick answered hesitantly. He examined the man sitting at the table. He looked to be around Mick’s age and wore a bored expression. “Why?”

“I’m Bill, Keith’s friend. He asked me to tell you he can’t make it tonight and that he’s sorry.” Bill picked at his nails, barely glancing up at Mick from the table.

“What? Why?” 

Bill shrugged. “Said there was some emergency at the zoo.” Bill was clearly a man of few words.

“Emergency? Is he okay?” Mick’s initial disappointment was quickly replaced with concern.

Bill shrugged once again. “I’m sure he’s fine.” And with that, he stood from his chair and headed back in the direction he came from.

Mick’s shoulders sagged as Bill walked away. Not only was he saddened by the news that Keith wasn’t coming but he was also now filled with worry for the other man. Something bad must of happened. There really was no such thing as a good emergency, was there?

He wasn’t really thinking as he left the bar and hailed a cab, instructing the driver to head over to the zoo. He didn’t have a plan for what he was going to do once he got there or how he would even get inside. All he knew was that he had to make sure Keith was okay.

Paying and thanking the cabbie, Mick rushed out of the taxi and headed towards the gates of the zoo. To his surprise, they weren’t closed. No one was around to stop him, so he went on through. 

The zoo at night was a little scary. Sure, there were a few lights along the pathways guiding him past the enclosures but the feeling of being alone in a place that was normally so full of people was a little haunting to Mick. Not to mention the odd-sounding noises being produced by some of the animals he walked past.

_Christ Mick, what are you doing_ , he thought to himself as he snuck about the place. He wasn’t even sure what he was looking for. _You shouldn’t even be here_.

Walking past the kangaroo exhibit, Mick practically jumped out of his skin at the sound of someone’s voice. 

“Hey, you can’t be in here.”

Mick let out an embarrassing squeal as he turned to face the young woman standing behind him. It was the same blonde woman from the gift shop he had seen earlier. However, this time she was not smiling. She was shining a flashlight in his face.

He narrowed his eyes and put up a hand to block the light from his eyes. “I’m not, I just,” he stumbled over his words, “the gates were open.”

“I’m sorry sir, but the zoo is closed right now. You need to leave.” 

Mick could tell there was really no use in arguing with her. And what would he say anyways? I’m just looking for my date?

“Christie?” 

A male voice sounded from the left of Mick and the female zookeeper. Mick squinted into the darkness trying to see who was approaching.

“Is everything okay? I thought I heard voices. Mick?”

“Keith?”

“What are you doing here?” Keith stood next to his coworker and gazed at Mick with incredulity.

Mick fidgeted under his stare. “I wanted to make sure you were alright,” he said, shuffling his feet, slightly mortified that Keith had caught him trespassing. He really hadn’t been thinking when he’d rushed over here.

Keith looked dumbfounded.

“Bill said there was an emergency,” Mick said. He felt pathetic. He never should have come looking for Keith.

Keith’s eyes softened and he turned towards the blonde. “Christie, it’s fine. I’ll take care of it.” She simply nodded and backed off.

Mick watched the beam of her flashlight get smaller and smaller as she disappeared into the darkness. In this moment, he wished he could fade away too. Now that he had found Keith, he felt like an idiot. Of course, Keith was okay. Of course, Keith wouldn’t want him here during an emergency.

“Mick?” Keith broke the silence between them. “Are you alright?” Mick looked upset and embarrassed. 

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t have come.”

Keith took a couple steps towards him. “Don’t be sorry. Bill shouldn’t have told you there was an emergency.” He rolled his eyes thinking about his friend and his lack of understanding. “Besides, it’s kind of sweet you broke in to make sure I was okay.” 

Mick crossed his arms. “I didn’t break in. The gates were open,” he grumbled, calming down some since Keith didn’t appear to be cross with him.

Keith laughed. “Yeah, that was probably my bad. I was in a bit of a rush.”

“Was there really an emergency?” Mick asked, curious as to why Keith would be rushing.

Keith nodded. “One of the dingo’s got hurt. Her pack attacked her.”

Mick’s eyes widened and his hand flew up to cover his mouth. “Oh my god, is she okay?”

“Yeah, Christie was here and was able to separate them. The dingos with the vet now.”

“But why would the other ones attack her? Is that normal?” Keith thought it was cute how concerned Mick was for the wild dog.

“Unfortunately, yeah. They pick on the weak ones. She’s getting pretty old so the vet thinks that might be why they attacked her. I got called in cause we had to fix up an enclosure for her to stay in while she recovers.”

“Oh,” Mick said, seemingly still processing this information. 

Keith studied Mick for a bit. The light of the moon reflected onto his face and hair, making his skin appear to be glowing. A stark contrast to the shadows that surrounded them. He looked heavenly. “So, uh, we missed the gig, but maybe I could still take you out for that bite to eat?”

Mick looked up at Keith. “You still want to?” he said.

“Uh, yeah. Why wouldn’t I? You came all the way down here to check on me.” Keith reached down and took ahold of Mick’s hand. His thumb stroked his fingers. “Let me buy you dinner?” he asked.

Mick was pretty sure his brain was short circuiting due to the physical contact with Keith, but he still managed to nod his head and reply with a breathy “okay.”

Keith smiled. “Great. I’m all done here so we can go right now. Let’s get out of here. This place is creepy as fuck at night.”

Keith led him back towards the entrance of the zoo and to his car. Mick looked down at the space between them and smiled. Keith had yet to let go of his hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this chapter a couples times over before I ended up with this. In all the other versions Mick and Keith's actually went according but there was just something so unsatisfying and boring with that. Long story short, I watched a movie about dingoes and this was born from the ruins.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I finally wrapped this story up! I got a little caught up in the fluff with this chapter but oh well. I hope you like it and thanks so much for reading!

Keith had driven them to a little diner not too far from the zoo. It was a tiny place and not very crowded since it was now well past eight o’ clock. Keith held the door open for Mick as they entered the restaurant and waited to be seated.

Now that they were in proper lighting, Mick could take all of Keith in. His hair was just as wild and unruly as ever, but he wore regular clothes unlike the other times Mick had seen him. Mick gulped. Keith looked _good_. Yeah, Mick had expected him to look a little different outside of work but _damn_. His trousers hugged his thighs nicely and the denim jacket he wore gave a slight edge to his look. “You look nice, you know, out of uniform.”

Keith looked down at his clothes and shrugged. “Thanks. You look nice to.” It was true, Mick had clearly made an effort to look good. His hair was styled neatly, and his clothes matched well. Keith found himself stuck staring at the place where Mick’s shirt had ridden up and exposed a sliver of pale skin. He forced himself to look away and meet Mick’s eyes. Thankfully, the hostess showed up at that moment to take them to a table.

“So, uh,” Keith started once they had settled into their seats. “I’m really sorry about not being able to make it earlier and I’m sorry Bill made you think I was in some sort of trouble.”

Mick shook his head, brushing off Keith’s apologies. “Don’t worry about it. You were just doing your job and besides, we’re here now.”

Looking through the menu, Keith couldn’t help but steal a few glances at Mick. There was a warmth that radiated from him. A light that seemed to make everything around him all the more beautiful. Keith was not normally one to fall for someone so fast, but it seemed Mick had already stolen his heart.

After a waitress had come by and taken their orders, Mick lifted his head to catch Keith staring at him. He shyly ducked his head and picked at his nails, a nervous habit of his. “So, what kind of music do your friends play?” Mick asked, trying to start conversation.

Keith immediately perked up at Mick’s question. He loved to talk about music. “Well they, Ronnie and Bill- those are my mates- they play guitar and bass. Their band plays a lot of things I guess, but they like to play a of lot blues music mostly. A little rock n’ roll, some country.”

Mick nodded his head as Keith spoke. “I like the blues.”

“You do?” Keith couldn’t believe his luck, not only was Mick one of the cutest guys he’d ever come across, but he liked good music too. Keith grinned and sat up straighter in his seat as Mick started to talk about his record collection and his favorite artists.

The two of them fell into easy conversation after that, albeit Mick did most of the talking. Not that Keith minded in the slightest. He was more than happy to listen to Mick’s ramblings about Muddy Waters and Jimmy Reed. He couldn’t believe he was sharing a meal with someone like Mick, someone so witty and smart and genuine. 

When Keith shared this thought aloud, Mick blushed. “Well, you’re all those things too. I mean, you spend your time taking care of animals. That’s pretty amazing.”

“Eh, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be,” Keith said, though Mick’s comment had made his heart flutter. “I’m not like a real zoologist. I just feed them and pick up their shit and fix the stuff they break.”

“Still,” Mick said, being more forward with his flirtations. “It’s impressive. You’re impressive.” He reached across the table and placed his hand on top of Keith’s. He let it linger there a moment, before pulling it away. “I mean it.”

Now Keith was the one blushing. “You really think that?” he said, coyly.

“Of course. I kind of,” Mick licked his lips. “I really like you. I have since we first spoke.”

Keith felt like he was having a heart attack. Mick liked him! _Mick_ liked _him!_

“I like you too,” Keith responded, feeling quite abashed. He felt like he sounded a bit like a schoolboy, admitting his feelings aloud in such a manner, but Mick just grinned at him in response and nudged his foot a little bit with his own under the table.

They finished their dinners around more conversation. Talk about music, the zoo, nieces and nephews, and pestering friends filled the air. Keith couldn’t remember the last time he had smiled for this long. Hours passed and before long the wait staff was asking the pair to leave much to Mick and Keith’s embarrassment.

After paying for both of them (though Mick tried his best to pay for the meal) and leaving a generous tip, Keith escorted Mick back to his beat-up car. Keith could see goosebumps forming on Mick’s upper arms as they walked back to the parking lot and hurriedly shrugged off his own jacket.

“Here,” he said, handing the garment over to the shivering boy, “I can tell your freezing.”

Mick hesitated before finally accepting the jacket. “Thanks,” he murmured, slipping it on and relishing in the warmth it provided. He let out a small sigh of comfort. “I wasn’t planning on staying out this long,” he offered as an explanation to his lack of layers.

Keith unlocked the car and opened the passenger-side door for Mick. “I didn’t mean to keep you out this late.” His tone was apologetic though his smile suggested he was anything but.

Mick laughed a bit as he climbed into the car. “It’s okay. I really don’t mind.” He nestled down further into Keith’s jacket and breathed in the smell of the denim. It smelled like smoke, and cinnamon, and the earth. It smelled like Keith.

The pair listened to the radio as Keith navigated through the darkened streets. Mick hummed along to the music, feeling nothing but happiness and infatuation for the man seated next to him. He reached over and grabbed Keith’s hand which had been resting in his lap. Keith sent him a sidelong look as Mick interlocked their fingers.

“I wish tonight didn’t have to end.” Mick said, looking down at his and Keith’s hands.

Keith pulled over on the street across from Mick’s apartment building and parked the car. He turned towards Mick who had busied himself looking out the windshield. His grip on Keith’s hand was tight but gentle.

“I know what you mean,” Keith said. He paused, choosing his next words carefully. “But just because today is over doesn’t mean anything between you and I has to end. I haven’t stopped thinking about you since we first met and I’m not going to stop anytime soon.” He squeezed Mick’s hand. “You’re not getting out of this that easy,” he teased, nudging Mick’s shoulder with his own. 

Pulling his hand away from Mick’s he reached up and placed it along Mick’s jaw. Mick closed his eyes and leaned his face into Keith’s touch. Keith brought his face forwards and rested his forehead against Mick’s, slightly rubbing their noses together. He heard Mick emit a small sigh at the action. Finally, he closed the gap between them and captured Mick’s lips with his own.

The kiss was everything Mick anticipated it to be and more. Keith’s lips were soft and smooth, and he kissed with such a passion that Mick almost felt dizzy with the sensation. The slight stubble on Keith’s face rubbed against Mick’s chin, a scratchy feeling Mick felt he could get used to.

It was over entirely too soon for Mick, who felt like he would’ve liked to spend an eternity kissing Keith. “Will you call me tomorrow?” he asked, softly.

“Of course,” Keith responded. “Like I said, you can’t get rid of me so easily.”

At his response, Mick surged forward and stole another breathtaking kiss from Keith. “I’d be a fool to want to get rid of you.”

Keith smiled and pecked Mick lightly on the nose. He tugged on the collar of his own denim jacket, still around Mick’s shoulders. “Keep the jacket. At least until I see you again.”

“Alright.”

Keith walked Mick up to his apartment where they locked lips a few more times.

“I mean it, Mick. I’m not going to stop thinking about you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I'm being completely transparent I really struggled to write this chapter. I don't know exactly what it was, but I think it was a combination of writer's block and losing track of this story's plot. I'm not super thrilled with how this chapter ended up but after reworking and rewriting it so much I think this is the best it's going to be. I kept the ending open in case of a possible continuation, but I already have stuff planned for other stories which I will hopefully be able post soon! :))


End file.
